title: Quality indicators for colorectal cancer screening for colonoscopy.
abstract: The growing importance of colonoscopy in the prevention of colorectal cancer has stimulated an effort to identify and track quality indicators for this procedure. Several factors have been identified so far which are readily measurable and in many cases have been associated with improved patient outcomes. There is also ample evidence of variations in performance of this procedure. As a result, gathering data about quality indicators may play a vital role in the process of continuous quality improvement. Quality indicators for colonoscopy in colorectal cancer prevention are described along with the evidence that supports their use in benchmarking, quality reporting, and continuous quality improvement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, 2215 Fuller Road, Room 111D, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105.
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
keywords: Colon cancer; Colon polyps; Colonoscopy; Quality indicators; Screening; Surveillance